Mohd Azam Khan has alleged that there was regional divide inside the Indian Embassy at Saudi Arabia

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party's Muslim face and minister for minority welfare, Mohd Azam Khan has alleged that there was a regional divide inside the Indian Embassy at Saudi Arabia. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Azam Khan said the time had come to end the dominance of Keralites in the Indian embassy at Saudi Arabia. "The embassy officials only run after political leaders of their own state and take care of people from South India. They hardly care for the people of other states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh," Khan told the press.

Khan had himself gone for Haj this year and said that he had seen the neglect of North Indians by the embassy officials from his own eyes. He had issued many statements regarding the poor arrangements made by the Indian officials in Saudi Arabia but it is the first time that he has written a letter to Prime Minister on this issue. In his letter, Khan said the Prime Minister should talk to the Central Haj Committee members and officials of Saudi Arabia about the mismanagement, and sends only that number of Haj pilgrims which can be given a decent treatment during the pilgrimage.

"As the number of pilgrims is much more than the desired limit, basic facilities are provided to many Indian Haj pilgrims, particularly those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, on commercial basis. This money is paid by pilgrims, though it is against the tenet of Islam," Khan said.

Khan added that sometimes Indian embassy employs foreign nationals as drivers and menial workers who hate Indians. "People from Pakistan and Bangladesh are employed in Indian embassy as drivers and they misbehave with Indian pilgrims," the minister said adding that only polite and courteous officials and employees should be engaged in Haj pilgrimage work and duties.

Stating that UP gets the step motherly treatment despite sending the highest number of pilgrims, he has written, demanding appropriate representation of all states in the management of Haj pilgrimage. He said in view of disrespect shown to UP Haj pilgrims, the Uttar Pradesh State Haj Committee would organize a national-level seminar to discuss these problems. Khan has invited PM Manmohan Singh for a national-level convention proposed for February-March in Lucknow to hold talks on the hardships faced by Haj pilgrims from UP and Bihar.